Banknote handling devices include, for example, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), cash dispensers, service window devices, or money changing machines that are mainly used in financial institutions, and cash registers that is mainly used in the retail industry.
In general, a banknote handling device is provided with plural units inside a casing (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-172946). The plural units include, for example, a unit for classifying and sorting banknotes (referred to below as the “first unit”) and a unit in which banknotes are kept stored (referred to below as the “second unit”).
The first unit includes a banknote input/output section that takes banknotes P into the device and discharges banknotes P out of the device, a classification section that classifies banknotes, a conveyance path on which banknotes are conveyed (referred to below as the “first conveyance path”), and a conveyance mechanism (referred to below as the “first conveyance mechanism”) that conveys banknotes along the first conveyance path.
The second unit includes one or more cassettes in which banknotes are housed, a conveyance path on which banknotes are conveyed (referred to below as the “second conveyance path”), and a conveyance mechanism (referred to below as the “second conveyance mechanism”) that conveys banknotes along the second conveyance path.
Further, the second unit is provided with a casing that covers the periphery of the cassettes, the second conveyance path and the second conveyance mechanism. The casing of the second unit functions as a safe that protects the banknotes housed inside the cassettes by covering the periphery of the cassettes.
The casing of the second unit must be built robust in order to protect the banknotes that are housed inside the cassettes. Therefore, the casing of the second unit is configured from a high strength material such as metal or concrete. Further, the thickness of a plate member of the casing of the second unit is designed so as to have a predetermined value or greater. Although the thickness of the plate member is not stipulated per se in Japan, outside of Japan multiple grades of thickness are stipulated in increments of, for example, several tens of mm, such as 40 mm or 80 mm, corresponding to various regional or national standards.
One or more opening portions are provided in the casing of the second unit, between the first conveyance path of the first unit and the second conveyance path of the second unit. The opening portions function as conveyance paths connecting the first conveyance path of the first unit and the second conveyance path of the second unit. The depth direction length of the opening portion (i.e., the distance between the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path) is the same as the thickness of the plate member of the casing (safe) of the second unit and varies depending on the thickness of the plate member of the casing.
In such a configuration, the banknote handling device passes banknotes between the first unit and the second unit during use. However, in the banknote handling device, if the thickness of the plate member of the casing of the second unit that acts as a safe is excessively thick, banknotes may stop inside the opening portion. For example, in a case in which some kind of a banknote conveyance error occurs in the banknote handling device, the first conveyance mechanism of the first unit and the second conveyance mechanism of the second unit may stop. At this time, if a banknote is travelling through the opening portion, the banknote may stop inside the opening portion in the banknote handling device. The thicker the thickness of the plate member of the casing of the second unit, the greater the likelihood is of such a state occurring. If banknote has stopped inside the opening portion in the banknote handling device and the first unit or the second unit is pulled out from the casing of the banknote handling device in this state, there is the possibility that the banknote is damaged.
Therefore, in the banknote handling device, if the thickness of the plate member of the casing of the second unit that acts as a safe is excessively thick (that is, at least thick enough that there is a possibility that a banknote may stop inside the opening portion), a conveyance mechanism (referred to below as a “passing conveyance mechanism”) for passing a banknote between the first conveyance path of the first unit and the second conveyance path of the second unit, a sensor that detects for a left-behind banknote (referred to below as a “left-behind sensor”) and the like are additionally installed inside the opening portion during manufacture.
Due to the additional installation of the passing conveyance mechanism and the left-behind sensor inside the opening portion, the banknote handling device conveys banknotes towards the downstream side by the passing conveyance mechanism while monitoring for the presence of banknotes left-behind in the opening portion by the left-behind sensor. Banknotes can be thereby conveyed in the banknote handling device without letting banknotes inside the opening portion.